Comments on: What’s Wrong with “Dwarf Planet”? http://thespacewriter.com/wp/2009/03/05/whats-wrong-with-dwarf-planet/ It's about astronomy and space science and everything they touch. Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:18:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: changcho http://thespacewriter.com/wp/2009/03/05/whats-wrong-with-dwarf-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-1594 changcho Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:27:57 +0000 http://thespacewriter.com/wp/?p=2688#comment-1594 I'll keep it short: very well said! I’ll keep it short: very well said!

]]> By: ccp http://thespacewriter.com/wp/2009/03/05/whats-wrong-with-dwarf-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-1590 ccp Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:23:44 +0000 http://thespacewriter.com/wp/?p=2688#comment-1590 Laurel, your comment that people who have contacted the IAU feel unheard is one I've heard before. No idea why they don't want to respond to people but as you point out, they're standing by their decision, however flawed it may be. It strikes me that that isn't any more scientific than what the Illinois lege did. I don't know. It's unfortunate though, because the last action left things quite unsettled, as we've all noticed. I was amused by the state of New Mexico's decision on the Pluto matter -- they've designed Tombaugh's birthday Pluto Planet Day. Illinois's decision may be symbolic, but it still gives the impression that science can be fiddled with by lawmakers. That is no more fair than the IAU decision to not revisit the issue. Will you also stand by and let the Illinois lege decide that the chemical element Iodine should be reclassified as a liquid? Or be renamed Illinoisium? Probably not. They wouldn't, but this is essentially what Illinois has done with the classification of Pluto. Let the science world figure it out. It may be slow and the Pluto/planet decision disturbing in some ways, and some members may be pigheaded about it, but it's in the realm of science, not political voting or popular emotion. Thanks for coming back to discuss this further. Laurel, your comment that people who have contacted the IAU feel unheard is one I’ve heard before. No idea why they don’t want to respond to people but as you point out, they’re standing by their decision, however flawed it may be. It strikes me that that isn’t any more scientific than what the Illinois lege did. I don’t know. It’s unfortunate though, because the last action left things quite unsettled, as we’ve all noticed.

I was amused by the state of New Mexico’s decision on the Pluto matter — they’ve designed Tombaugh’s birthday Pluto Planet Day.

Illinois’s decision may be symbolic, but it still gives the impression that science can be fiddled with by lawmakers. That is no more fair than the IAU decision to not revisit the issue. Will you also stand by and let the Illinois lege decide that the chemical element Iodine should be reclassified as a liquid? Or be renamed Illinoisium? Probably not. They wouldn’t, but this is essentially what Illinois has done with the classification of Pluto. Let the science world figure it out. It may be slow and the Pluto/planet decision disturbing in some ways, and some members may be pigheaded about it, but it’s in the realm of science, not political voting or popular emotion.

Thanks for coming back to discuss this further.

]]> By: Laurel Kornfeld http://thespacewriter.com/wp/2009/03/05/whats-wrong-with-dwarf-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-1589 Laurel Kornfeld Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:17:59 +0000 http://thespacewriter.com/wp/?p=2688#comment-1589 I disagree that your views or the views of non-IAU members have little weight in this matter. They do. The IAU claims they're interested in communicating astronomy with the public, but the way they have handled this, not just at the General Assembly, but in the two-and-a-half years since--has been with complete contempt and disrespect toward the public. The Illinois legislature is making a symbolic statement; they have no illusions that anyone is required to follow their proclamation. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the IAU, which expects the whole world to blindly bow to its decree. Significantly, neither I nor any of the many people I know of who contacted the IAU about this ever received even an acknowledgment of their communication and concern. The leadership of the IAU has already stated it does not want to reopen this issue. The IAU made the mess, but they don't want to take the responsibility for cleaning it up. To me, this is a problem. For more on scientific arguments on why Pluto is a planet, feel free to visit my blog at http://laurele.livejournal.com I disagree that your views or the views of non-IAU members have little weight in this matter. They do. The IAU claims they’re interested in communicating astronomy with the public, but the way they have handled this, not just at the General Assembly, but in the two-and-a-half years since–has been with complete contempt and disrespect toward the public. The Illinois legislature is making a symbolic statement; they have no illusions that anyone is required to follow their proclamation. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the IAU, which expects the whole world to blindly bow to its decree.

Significantly, neither I nor any of the many people I know of who contacted the IAU about this ever received even an acknowledgment of their communication and concern. The leadership of the IAU has already stated it does not want to reopen this issue. The IAU made the mess, but they don’t want to take the responsibility for cleaning it up. To me, this is a problem.

For more on scientific arguments on why Pluto is a planet, feel free to visit my blog at http://laurele.livejournal.com

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